More than 300 jobs are being lost with the closure of two factories in Ayrshire.

Jaeger is closing its textile plant in Kilmarnock, which employs 153 workers, mostly women.

The Kilmarnock workforce was halved two years ago and last year the firm cut 160 jobs by closing its factory in Campbeltown.

A further 158 jobs will be lost at the APW Enclosure Systems plastic mouldings factory in Beith which is also to close.

The GMB union blamed currency exchange rates for Jaeger's decision, which it said was a "big shock" for the workforce.

Scottish regional secretary Robert Parker: "We knew things were difficult on the ground in the industry and that currency exchange rates were making them worse, but we honestly did not think it would come to this in Kilmarnock."

He said the plant's work was likely to be transferred to contractors in Romania and Portugal.

'Loyal workforce'

"I am absolutely dismayed. This is a loyal workforce being thrown on the scrapheap."

Mr Parker highlighted a Strathclyde University report blaming exchange rates for textile closures in Scotland.

Three cutting room workers were laid off in Kilmarnock three weeks ago.

Louise Gilmour, GMB regional organiser in Ayrshire, said: "When we negotiated the cutting room redundancies, no-one said anything about possible closure. This is a really big shock."

He said the news had come in a letter to workers from the firm, which said: "The High Street continues to experience increasing pressure on prices and therefore costs.

"It is now possible to achieve the same quality of output at lower cost from overseas locations."